Long, Hard and Free has always been one of my favourite Yosemite climbing articles. It describes Mark Hudon's and Max Jones' attempts at free climbing some of Yosemite's biggest walls, and making substantial inroads in the process.

Together they developed the "as free as can be" idea of an ascent, starting with the Crucifix, the Rostrum and Pegasus. They then moved on to the South Face of Mount Watkins, freeing all but seven moves. It took Tommy Caldwell until very recently to free the whole thing.

Mark and Max next turned their attention towards El Cap and the Salathe Wall, free climbing all but three hundred feet, and probably could have reduced that by a hundred feet if it hadn't been wet.

These guys weren't even working the walls, they just went up and sent the things! One wonders what they could have made happen if they had stuck around a bit longer, and gone up for subsequent attempts.

And then Mark Hudon and Max Jones suddenly disappeared from the scene. Gonzo. From summit to plummet. Gone for like thirty years.

Until now - they're baaaaaaaaaack......

Mark and Max are together finishing up yet another fantastic El Cap photo trip report which they will soon be publishing here on McTopo, on their ascent of South Seas to P.O. this past fall. It was pretty much the first time they had climbed together in the last thirty years, and it's a great story when put in the context of their past accomplishments.

I wanted to post up this article, because there would be many of you who were unfamiliar with the impact their team made back in the day, thinking Max and Mark to be nothing more than a pair of washed-up old farts wobbling up El Cap.

Well, they ARE a couple of washed up old farts! But they USED to be pretty bitchin'. ;)

There are some great quotes from this article:

"We were amazed to find 5.7 A1 pitches going free at 5.7 and even more amazed to find perfect A1 cracks barely going free at 5.12."

I didn't realize it was Mark who described El Cap Spire as "that flat-topped island in the sky."

"We were not even worried about the 23rd pitch, two overhung and tight corners, we knew it wouldn't go." [Hee hee...]

I scanned these pages up at a decent resolution and made them 700 pixels wide, hopefully the ideal size for viewing on the forum, and readable without struggle. Actually, now that I post, I see it probably could have been 800 or even 900 pixels wide, but it certainly is easy to read.

You definitely want to read Long, Hard and Free before you look at Max and Mark's awesome upcoming trip report on South Seas to P.O.

Cheers and beers,
Pete

P.S. Further "required reading" before you check out their SS to PO trip report is here, States of the Art:

Pete -- I'm guessing our corporate network is filtering the link to the scan. I tried three different browsers on my office computer to no avail. Must be that porn site you use to host your on-line stuff ;-)

But the scan shows up just fine on my iPhone, though I certainly don't intend to read it there. I'll just look at it on my home computer.

Max had a very big impact on elevating the climbing standards in the Tahoe/Donner region in the late 70s. Along with Mark, they established routes that even today are classic test pieces.

This is what I noted about them in the, extensive, section on Tahoe climbing history in the new North Tahoe guidebook:

"Two young climbers named Max Jones and Mark Hudon led the charge of establishing area test pieces in the late 1970s. These two were some of the first to begin “working” short, free climbing routes and pitches (without the benefit of closely spaced protection bolts placed on rappel) and this young duo would become one of the strongest climbing teams in the world during the late 1970s. The synergy and accomplishments in the world of free climbing accomplished in Yosemite Valley in the 1970s by this team would re-calibrate what was possible in the realm of big wall free climbing. At the start of each climbing season they would “flip” a carabineer. The “winner” of the carabineer flip would get to lead, with his rack, the first new route of the season. They would then alternate who got to lead subsequent routes for the remainder of each season, with each getting their share of first ascents and first free climbing leads of big wall pitches.

Max Jones was from Reno and was climbing in the Reno and Donner area, (reportedly having learned to climb from, and been shown around by his mentor Alvin McLane) by 1969. When Max met Mark Hudon in Yosemite Valley in the spring of 1976 both were talented and skilled free climbers. Mark was a brash 21 year old and Max was 19.

Mark was the outspoken one; known for his bold, runout routes and he had the natural talent to back up the bravado coming from his diminutive stature (Mark was, and still is, known to repeat his motto “I’m Mark Hudon and I’m a badass climber” to help muster the courage to spur himself on when confronting a section of difficult climbing). During the prime of his climbing days, Mark recently recalled that he “climbed every other day for ten years” and still currently manages to find motivation to climb the walls of Yosemite after a decades long absence from them.

Max was the quiet, yet confident, half of this dynamic duo who was exceedingly skilled at thin crack and technical routes, and whom became renowned for his strict training regimen (Max later went on to excel as a world class mountain biker who is in the Mountain Biking Hall of Fame, not to mention being an alternate on the 1984 Olympic Biathlon Team) Marc commented recently about his days of climbing with Max “I never once saw Max shake or back down”. Quite a statement given the terrifying big wall free climbing they accomplished in Yosemite Valley.

Max’s stories of the quality climbing to be found at his “home” climbing area at Donner Summit resulted in Mark Hudon visiting, and moving to, the area. The subsequent use of the Reno/Donner area by this prolific team to train for their famous Yosemite exploits, during the years of 1977 through 1979, led to an explosion of leading edge, classic test piece routes at Donner Summit. During this era they helped push the established grades well into the 5.12 range. This also was a time when routes were routinely runout and the mental boldness of a route was given as much, or more, credence than the difficulty of the grade difficulty.

In 1977 Max Jones, along with his other regular climbing partner and prolific late 1970s Tahoe first ascentionist Gary “Bullet” Allen established their historic route Imaginary Voyage (.11c). This route was the first climb in the world to feature four pitches of, sustained, solid 5.11. When it was completed, news of it traveled fast and many renowned climbers flocked to attempt this ground breaking route. This route linked four other routes (Slipstream, No Stems No Seeds, Sky Pilot, and Headstone) that they, along with Mark Hudon, had previously established. Mark’s first free ascent, quickly repeated by Max, of the famous crack climb of Babylon (.12c) in 1979 was another ground breaking route that reputedly was one of the three hardest crack climbs in the world at that time.

During this era Max Jones had as a goal to NEVER have a day of climbing where he did not climb something new, if even only a variation to a route that he had previously climbed. He is reported to have over 300 first ascents in the Reno/Tahoe region, many of them never reported. Alas that Max “retired” from the sport, on top of his game, around 1980. Many of Max’s bold Donner Summit (led on gear only) routes still see few willing to muster the courage to lead these committing, thin routes, with most satisfied at the accomplishment of just getting up them on toprope."

Some really cool vintage photos in the guidebook of Max and Mark climbing at Donner in the late 70s as well! One of these days I will have to post some of the cool shots of them that I had to leave out of the new guidebook. Here's one:

Here is one of Max, in the late 70s when he was about 19 or so, that did not make it into the new guidebook. (At Black Wall on Donner Summit. Photo courtesy of Gary Allen)

I "retired" the first time since I felt that I had sort of been there and done that. I truly did average every other day for 10 years and I was a little bit tired of it. Peggy and I moved to Hood River for the windsurfing but then after a few years I caught the bug again with sport climbing. After a while I wanted to get back to longer routes and here I am now. I really hope Astroman, the Nose and Salathe/Freerider "as free as can be" are still in my future.

I felt like I had kind of run out of things to do that kept me fired up. Back then full on sieging to free a route was just not done. The ethic was to climb a bunch more then come back when you are ready. I do wish we had gone back on the Salathe that next fall though.

Stumbled into mountain bike racing at a good time and got to race for a living for a decade or so.
Free climbing caught my interest for a few years when Cave Rock was happening and it was close and convenient. Limited time kind of limited that comeback. A daughter, a business and lots of no good excuses. Kind of jealous of that Half of half dome dude and daughter. What an adventure!

Im tickled pink for you guys! Couldnt happen to a better TEAM! Max,, things have been crazy here at my shop as of late, but I WILL give ya a call about a get together sometime! Itll be cool to see some of the pics of you guys back in the saddle again!

edit: and might i add, that it seemed you had a profound influence in the climbing style of Tom Sullivan, who in turn had a profound influence over my climbing style, which i then transferred to my buddy Steve Yasmer...Its all YOUR fault lol! And THANKS! ;-D

Anyone have "States of the Art" to post for us to read? Couldn't find it online anywhere.

My first trip to the Valley was a direct consequence of those two inspirational articles. I recall leading the East Buttress of Middle dreaming we were Hudon and Jones (a la Walter Mitty). I justified frenching the bolt ladder by thinking "as free as possible".

See - there's the problem. You guys weren't willing to cheat to make free ascents. Cheating didn't start to gain acceptance until a few years later.

But not everyone who attempts Salathe Wall free cheats to do so. I think Yuji worked his way up to that skill level before giving it a shot, and came damn close to a full-on legit send. There have probably been a few others, too.

I have a fresh copy of States of the Art that I could scan. I'm working on two El Cap panos, putting final touches on the South Seas TR and also a ZM slide show I have to give here in Hood River next Wednesday so I'm a bit busy. Someone should PM me in two weeks to remind me to scan it and post. I'm sure I'll have time over the Christmas weekend.